News Creator Corps (NCC) is a U.S. nonprofit that invests in digital creators who have already built audiences that trust them, but want to sharpen their accuracy and credibility. Its mission is straightforward yet ambitious: ensure that everyone, regardless of platform, has access to factual, trustworthy information.

“Our goal is to empower the people who are already informing their communities,” says Rachel Lobdell, NCC’s Executive Director. “If we could help them be even 5% better at verifying what they share, what would that mean for their audiences?”

Launched in September, the organization’s model flips traditional journalism. Instead of expecting audiences to come to the newsroom, NCC meets them where they already are on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, and gives creators newsroom-level tools to report accurately, cite sources, and correct mistakes.

A Mission Rooted in Media Literacy

NCC launched as a philanthropically funded nonprofit supported by foundations that champion democracy and independent media. Its founders believe that the future of reliable information depends not only on journalists, but also on the creators shaping public understanding online.

“We started as a nonprofit because we wanted to be completely mission-driven,” Rachel explains. “We’re donation-funded, and our events are open to everyone. Anyone can join for whatever amount they want to contribute.”

The organization’s flagship program, the “Trusted Creator Fellowship,” identifies creators with established audiences across niches, such as science, health, local news, politics, and lifestyle and trains them to integrate fact-checking and sourcing into their day-to-day work. Participants receive $5,000 stipends for the nine-week course, which covers subjects such as interviewing, public-records requests, partnerships, and AI literacy.

“Our fellows aren’t journalists who left newsrooms,” Rachel says. “They’re creators who’ve never worked in journalism, but are already serving communities that rely on them for information.”

Building a Pipeline of Trusted Creators

From the first day of applications, demand exceeded expectations. According to Rachel, NCC’s inaugural class received 149 applications for just 20 fellowship spots. “As we read through the applications, it was clear this was something creators were craving,” she shares. “They care deeply about getting things right for their audiences.”

Graduates of the fellowship join The Collective, an ongoing support network that pairs creators with publishers and nonprofits seeking reliable voices for campaigns and collaborations. “Many newsrooms tell us they want to work with creators, but don’t know where to start,” Rachel says. “We can say, ‘Here’s someone who’s trained, vetted, and focused on accuracy.’”

In addition to fellowships, NCC is expanding into public education through events and open workshops. Its first in-person session, co-hosted with Michael Morisy, co-founder & CEO of MuckRock in Philadelphia, taught attendees how to file and access public records and sold out quickly. 

“We call it learning out loud,” Rachel says. “Our goal is to make accuracy approachable and even fun.”

From Newsroom to Nonprofit

Before joining NCC, Rachel spent her career in traditional newsrooms, holding senior editorial roles at Fortune, VICE, The Wall Street Journal, and Gannett. 

At Gannett (rebranded in November 2025 as “USA TODAY Co.”), she led the company’s digital transformation and oversaw initiatives such as “Women of the Year” and national voter guides.

“This is my first non-newsroom job,” she says. “But it felt like the right moment to connect information creators with the news industry in a way that hadn’t been done before.”

The idea resonated with her because she had seen firsthand how audiences were bypassing traditional outlets. “During the pandemic, everyone had access to free COVID coverage, and yet so many people still didn’t know what was going on,” she says. 

Later, as a new mother, she realized how much she relied on creators for parenting information. “People are desperate for information, even if they say they don’t want ‘the news.’ They just want to understand the world around them.”

Teaching Relatability and Rigor

Rachel argues that creators excel at something the news industry still struggles with: relatability. 

“When you get information from a creator, it feels like you’re at happy hour having a conversation,” she says. “News organizations still talk to audiences as groups, not as individuals.”

NCC’s training emphasizes merging that conversational tone with journalistic discipline. Fellows learn to verify claims and credit sources, and. “The vibes might be different, but at the heart of the work, it’s the same,” Rachel explains. “It’s about accuracy and giving people the full picture.”

She highlights the results: one creator used NCC’s public-records workshop to obtain local documents for a story, then filmed a tutorial teaching viewers how to file their own requests. “Someone commented, ‘Thanks for teaching me. I just filed my first FOIA [Freedom of Information Act],’” Rachel recalls. “That’s when you see how this ripples outward.”

Measuring Credibility in the Age of Misinformation

Defining success in an anti-misinformation mission is complicated, but NCC relies on engagement rather than metrics. 

“It’s not about viral views,” Rachel points out. “It’s about what creators are learning, their confidence, and how many people are asking for more training.”

That demand has accelerated NCC’s expansion plans. Originally scheduled for 2026, a seven-part event series is launching this winter to meet growing interest from creators outside the fellowship. The organization will host two new fellowship cohorts next year and pilot college and high-school boot camps designed to teach local storytelling through creator-style content.

“We want to work with students who want to tell local stories and figure out their role in the local-news ecosystem,” she says. 

Bridging the Divide Between Creators and Newsrooms

Despite growing collaboration, Rachel says the journalism industry still underestimates creators’ value. 

“There’s often this attitude of, ‘I’m the professional, I have the degree,’” she notes. “But we’re stronger when creators, newsrooms, nonprofits, and community groups all sit at the same table on equal footing.”

Rachel believes partnerships will become essential as newsrooms struggle to reach younger audiences. “Creators are really good at reaching people newsrooms have been bad at reaching,” she says. “If publishers want to keep distributing information, they’ll have to work with creators.”

Still, there’s no one-size-fits-all model. “A partnership at The Washington Post will look different from one at The Kansas City Star or Grist,” she adds. “Each organization has unique goals, so part of our work is helping them figure out what kind of collaboration makes sense.”

A Diversified Future for News

Rachel sees the rise of information-focused creators as less a threat than an opportunity to rebuild trust. 

“When people feel like they can’t trust anything online, it affects everyone,” she says. “If we can invest in creators who show their sources and explain why they’re trustworthy, that confidence benefits the entire information ecosystem.”

As NCC grows, its focus remains flexible and adaptive. “Maybe in 12 months, creators will need something totally different,” she says. “Our job is to stay entrepreneurial and react to those needs.”

Her broader prediction for the industry is clear. “We’re moving toward a much more diversified distribution system,” she says. “It’s going to involve actual people, not just platforms, working together to share information.”

As the lines between journalist and creator blur, Rachel’s approach suggests a new model for public trust: one built on collaboration, accuracy, and community. 

“At the end of the day, journalists want communities to have accurate information,” she concludes. “Creators want the same thing. We’re stronger when we do it together.”

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